SeaDawg

We kind of thought so... but, had never seen anything like it before.

On another forum, I saw a post referencing this product: http://www.rvupgradestore.com/index.asp ... rodID=3013 It's a modern, more elegant version of a tub of dryzit or damprid, without the mess of dumping tubs. I think it may be useful year-round for removing humidity from our little trailers. The very smallest handles 50 square feet... just a little smaller than our Olivers. Anyone tried something similar? Sherry

Yesterday, we drove the full length of I-81 thru Virginia. I have never seen such a high number of state troopers in one length of highway... 35 cars (most marked, some unmarked) either issuing tickets, or parked in the median watching traffic, in a 325 mile stretch. I wonder if this was a concentrated effort because of problems on I-81, or if this is normal. I was amazed. Sherry

Nice article, and great photo selections. It's almost two years in Orion for you now, isn't it? Sherry

We're definitely still thinking about Alaska in 2011. We enjoyed our short trip in a rental years ago (Anchorage, Denali, Kenai Peninsula, Valdez), and a return trip in our own rv has been on our list for a long time. Actually, our plans for Alaska were one of the reasons we chose the Oliver as our travel trailer. It would be great to have a group of us, meeting up along the way. Sherry

So cool to come across an enjoyable park for both two-legged and four-legged campers! Glad you're having a great time in Katy, TX.

Horseshoes??? Right.

Looks like a great rally! One of these days, we'd like to be at a rally with the "Underwood Clan." Something tells me their family spirit spills over onto each and everyone present. Phil and Denise, thanks for the photos. By the way, what was up with all the toilet seat/duct tape photos? Sherry and Paul

A lot of great stuff washing up on that beach.... I like the duck decoy. Was it wooden? Thanks for all the great adventure posts!

Rich, I believe there is a spelling error in the tumbleweed link. Please try contacting him thru a pm in this forum. Or, contact me thru a pm, and I'll send you a link to the proper email spelling. Sherry

Hello to all, ***** Is it better to use two 6 volt batteries with the higher AH or go with the two 12 volt batteries? What brand?? works well for charging? and, is it possible to have the batteries relocated to the front in the extra metal basket on my Oliver travel trailer? I struggle with lifting them in the built in storage area. Thanks, Jam49 We're still working on two year old standard group 27 batteries. I' m concerned about your comment on struggling to lift out your batteries. Why would there be a struggle when the compartment slides out? We are in FL, so there is no need to store batteries in the basement. Is it that much colder where you are in Texas? Sher

Thanks for the link. No wonder you have had so many visits on this one. Sherry

Have a wonderful time. I hear it's such a beautiful spot. Wish we could be there, too. If you get the chance before you go, read Bill Belleville's essay, "Inside the Heart of a Poem." It's not long, just a few pages, but beautiful. (From his anthology . Belleville is a diver, a naturalist, and a Floridian. I think you'd especially enjoy his writing, Geri. Sherry

We love our Scandvik faucets and showers in the Oliver. Today, I found out a little info from their website and catalog: You can order replacement parts (hoses, parts, etc.) as an individual, but only closeout items in entire assemblies, direct from Scandvik. Regular stock assemblies can be ordered online from Yacht Supply Depot at a discount of about 25% off msrp, no freight. Looking thru the pdf catalog for Scandvik, I discovered a few things I did not know about our showers. The one in the bathroom has an adjustable aerator. Slide it down for shower (more widespread spray), up for faucet function. The slide valve for closing off the water while soaping up for navy showers is designed to drip a little, to maintain water temperature. It is not a positive shut-off valve like the pressure handle on the outside shower. The outdoor shower spray handle will flip up for continuous spray without holding the pressure handle down. Ours is the "Euro" model in the catalog. Scandvik sells a height adjustable slide mount for the combination faucet/showerheads, as well as the mount that we have installed in the trailer. Our shower and sink faucets/mixers are all brass, chrome-plated on the indoor faucets, and are real marine quality. I like that. They're built to last, like our Oliver trailers. Sherry PS There is a single-lever replacement galley faucet in the closeouts today, chrome, for under a hundred dollars. Just an FYI, our indoor shower faucet retails for $200.00, without the mount on the bulkhead.

Sorry gang, I've been out of touch with the board for several days with out of state company. Sorry, too, that the days mentioned won't work for me. I'll be out of town till the 15th or 16th with one of my sisters. Don't let it hold up the rest of you, though. Sherry

Looking at March, a satellite goes up 3/1, but the shuttle launch on 3/18 may conflict with family visits for us. Sherry

It has been warm here (believe it or not...). Temps in the 70's during the day. It rained today,off and on, and rain showers are in the forecast for most of next week, but the temps will be decent in Tampa Bay. We took the cat ferry from Ft. Myers to Key West this week with my brother and sister-in-law, and enjoyed two glorious days of sun and (dare I say it) great temps. Back at home, we took the little powerboat out in the intercoastal yesterday, and needed a jacket only outside the no-wake zones. Now, we're getting the tail end of the northern ugly weather, but it's still nice, between the showers. Back to Blue Springs.... There is an Endeavor launch scheduled for 2/7 at 4:39 am. Would it not be cool to see the launch (only 5 or so left in the program), and visit Blue Springs? I've seen the contrails from the backyard as the shuttles launch from the other coast, but have never seen a launch up close and personal. Blue Springs is, of course, booked completely for the weekends. However, there is some mid-week availability, before and after the launch. There are other central Florida parks within an hour or two of Cape Canaveral that might be available if some of you are interested. I'd be happy to research more. Sher PS Tom: No matter what the weatherman brings, we love to see you and Karen anytime! PS Cherie & Chris: Welcome back! Looking forward to seeing you both again! PS Chuck & Geri: It would be wonderful to see you newly weds again before you begin your journey on the westward trail. PS DC Kiefers: If we can work this out for a weekend, hope you can join us too! PS to all.... there is another launch in March, in case this doesn't work. S.

Sadly, we took only a few photos. Perhaps Pete can post a few? Sher

Thinking about a trip to Blue Springs. John Bartram, naturalist, visited here in the late 18th century. Any of you been here? There's a FL state park at Blue Springs, and I'm curious. I've read some 20th century writings that make it sound very much worth the drive. Sherry

On our second day at the Tampa RV SuperShow, we saw the lightweight Liberty electric bikes. Paul and I have been discussing getting folding bikes, and we'd seen the Liberty series on line. The small bike, at show special price, was $395 each. We measured, but they would not fit standing up in the truckbed with the topper in place. We are hesitant to fill a third of the bed with bikes folded, laying down on their sides. As we would use them primarily to cruise the campground, we can still manage without the electric part, if the bikes are not single speed. Still and all, it was tempting. Have any of you purchased folding bikes (electric or not...), that work for you? Sherry

Welcome to the forum, Sawdust!

One of the biggest RV shows in the southeast is held at the State Fairgrounds outside Tampa each January. We met up with Pete and his smiley dog Oscar to visit the show this year. The show was fun, and the weather turned so nice that we stayed two nights dry-camping in the grassy parking long instead of the one night we'd planned. During the day, the lot is full of cars, but after the show closes, we had a huge field for Oscar to run around in. Last night, a Casita from Washington joined us in our little fiberglass egg section. No campfire, but we grilled on Pete's awesome little Coleman, and enjoyed a lot of fun conversation after the show. We only wish more Olivers could have joined us. The cold weather is finally gone, and temps in the mid-70's made it especially nice to walk around the show and thaw out after our two weeks of bitter Florida cold. Maybe next year?

I saw a link to the Mahindra pickups and SUV posted on fiberglassrv.com, and thought some of you might be interested in reading about it, too. Mahindra (with 50 years of producing vehicles in India), plans to launch their compact pickups and SUVs in the United States this spring. The trucks test at 30 mpg city/37 mpg highway from their small diesels, with a tow capacity of 5,000, and a cargo capacity of over 2000 pounds. With a very small marketing budget, they will target select customers in the U.S., mainly Indian ex-pats already familiar with Mahindra, and green-minded customers looking for a high mpg clean diesel alternative. Trucks will be shipped to the U.S. in sections, and assembled here. SUVs will be shipped completely assembled. Look for a price-tag in the low to mid 20's. I'm not saying I'm looking to be the first on my block to own an Indian vehicle, but I do think it's time we had small, efficient diesel pickups available in the U.S. You see smaller, tough little pickups like this all over Europe and Australia, by a variety of manufacturers. http://www.dfwmahindra.com/index.php?x=home http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2009/12/ma ... pring.html http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/ca ... is-Spring/ http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradviso ... /Mahindra/ A diesel-electric hybrid is in their plans for 2011. Sherry

Happy Birthday!!!!

No, I'm not touting my adopted state. Yesterday, we spent the day at Forever Florida near St. Cloud. This 4700 acre area, dedicated to Allen Broussard by his parents, hopes to preserve at least within its confines the spirit and ecosystem of pioneer Florida. What a great day. The young people ziplined through the woods, getting an ecotour on the way to the course in a giant swamp buggy. We parents enjoyed a two hour tour in a similar coach, visiting sloughs, creeks, regenerated prairie, cedar domes, and pine forest. We saw allligators, deer, and turkeys, along with a number of other birds. Though we didn't get to see a rare Florida panther, we did see his tracks in the sand. Part of the acreage is a working farm, with a large herd of Florida cracker cattle, direct descendants of the cattle left behind by the Spaniards when they were attacked by the Calusa Indians. Forever Florida includes two big campgrounds, with no hookups but flush toilets and hot showers. We'd love to go back and camp with some of our friends. http://www.foreverflorida.com/ Sherry